Using Mixed Focus of Attention Principle to Explore a Singing Teacher’s Perceptions of Belting Teaching Guide for Novice Singers

Teik Poi, Tan (2023) Using Mixed Focus of Attention Principle to Explore a Singing Teacher’s Perceptions of Belting Teaching Guide for Novice Singers. PhD thesis, University Malaysia Sarawak.

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Abstract

Increasing demand for voice lessons in the contemporary commercial music (CCM) genre has been witnessed in recent years, with belting emerging as a prevalent technique amongst voice students and performers. The rising prominence of belting and CCM singing can be attributed to the increasing popularity of televised singing talent shows, musical series and films, and cover versions of popular songs on video sharing platforms. Additionally, classically-trained singers have begun seeking guidance on belting and other CCM techniques to remain relevant to professional voice performance in the changing employment landscape. This study seeks to solve the scarcity of educational resources on CCM belting singing to help voice instructors safely and effectively teach the techniques required for belting. The study focuses on the needs of singing teachers that have little knowledge of the belting technique and those trained in Western classical music. It also debunks the common misconception that belting is harmful to the voice, which leads to the hesitance among singing teachers to explore both CCM and belting as legitimate vocal styles. The study posits that the teaching guide will make vocal teachers more able to coach students interested in belting proper guidance, thus increasing the possibility that vocal teachers will meet the demand for CCM instruction. Because most of the belting resources available to date focus primarily on the physiological, perceptual, and acoustic aspects, this study provides practical guidance for vocal teachers regarding vocal exercises and strategies used in belt voice production, which is currently lacking. Hence, this study developed a comprehensive teaching guide for belting, including practical, evidence-based techniques and exercises. The teaching guide developed in this study is based on the Mixed Focus of Attention Principle (MFA) and presented using straightforward language, along with examples and illustrations to aid comprehension. The teaching guide expresses the credibility of belting as a unique style of performance that requires non-classical vocal techniques. This study uses a single case study approach to explore, through semi-structured interviews and lesson observations, the perceptions of a singing teacher and her three students regarding the developed belting teaching guide and the application of the MFA in belting pedagogy. From the data collected in the study, it is concluded that the belting teaching guide was perceived as valuable by the teacher and the students. These conclusions make a new contribution to knowledge in voice pedagogy. They show that the developed belting teaching guide and the MFA are vastly beneficial to voice instructors seeking practical guidance to teach the belting style.

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